Olympics: Bettman hints NHL won't play in 2018 and 2022

[Mr Kanadensisk]

Meh, it's not like hockey is more popular in the US than in say, the German speaking world. With better players it would obviously be even more popular.

Actually per capita the US has roughly 2.5 times more U20 kids playing hockey than the German speaking world.

 

[Jonimaus]

My point being that the NHL is no more greedy than any of those Swedish players or pretty much any other business operating in the free market.

It depends how they act now. All swedish players who has been asked has been highly critical of the plans to not attend olympics.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Meh, it's not like hockey is more popular in the US than in say, the German speaking world. With better players it would obviously be even more popular.

As it has been discussed it's a regional sport in the US. A lot of sports are just more popular in certain US regions. The expense of hockey has it's impact.

If you want to go play basketball in the spring or summer, find a park then go play. During the winter, go to the YMCA or public gym and play. Not the same for hockey, the equipment and renting rinks can be expensive.

 

[Rob]

You were asking for a "benefit to the game", not to the NHL. Last time I checked, the NHL is not "the game".

True. However, the NHL owners are only interested in increasing the popularity of their league/team. Americans owners have not seen that benefit from participation in the Olympics which is why they will not be going again.

 

[Jablkon]

So are we going to ignore than in '78 the Soviet's talent was only spread across 10 teams and the NHL/WHA combined had 26?

We still talking about situation if all best europeans play in KHL. This was just for evidence for one guy here, that it would not be so easy for NHL to staying dominant league....

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

We still talking about situation if all best europeans play in KHL. This was just for evidence for one guy here, that it would not be so easy for NHL to staying dominant league....

Based on overall participation rates and contemporary scoring statistics Europe could ice roughly 13 clubs that were on par with the 30 NHL teams if all players stayed in their home continents.

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

It depends how they act now. All swedish players who has been asked has been highly critical of the plans to not attend olympics.

Yet all those that signed NHL contracts did so knowing there was no guarantee that they would go to the next OG.

 

[Yakushev72]

Based on overall participation rates and contemporary scoring statistics Europe could ice roughly 13 clubs that were on par with the 30 NHL teams if all players stayed in their home continents.

If there are 13 European teams and 17 North American teams at the top level, that gets very close to parity. Certainly you don't think that the NHL could plumb the rosters of the AHL and still maintain a top level product?

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

If there are 13 European teams and 17 North American teams at the top level, that gets very close to parity. Certainly you don't think that the NHL could plumb the rosters of the AHL and still maintain a top level product?

Percentage wise it is roughly 70% NA and 30% Europe, which translates to 30 NHL clubs vs 13 Euro Clubs. Obviously if all the Europeans left the NHL then the skill level of the league would go down, but that is a completely different matter from the entertainment value of the product.

 

[DyerMaker66*]

True. However, the NHL owners are only interested in increasing the popularity of their league/team. Americans owners have not seen that benefit from participation in the Olympics which is why they will not be going again.

People around the world don't watch the NHL to see the players who played in the Olympics?

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

People around the world don't watch the NHL to see the players who played in the Olympics?

Not many unfortunately. Don't forget that most NHL games are on during the middle of the night in Europe.

 

[Rebuilt]

Because the NHL is totally dependent on Europe to produce enough talent to put a decent product on the ice. As it stands, the NHL is already the most talent-poor of all of the NA professional sports leagues, and it would be far, far worse if Europe stopped producing talent. The US and Canada don't produce enough top-level talent to support a 30-team league, so the NHL would have to make major slashes in the number of teams, thereby scaling back their revenues and market share to a major degree.

Mainly because of NHL over-harvesting, the Czech and Slovak hockey programs have been picked clean, and are showing signs of dying out. You can't pull all of the crops out of a field and refuse to fertilize for the future, and then expect to have bountiful harvests for the future. It doesn't work that way. The NHL is going to shoot itself in the foot by dropping out of international hockey, but it will plow ahead and do it anyway.

No they arent. Its the Europeans who come here for the big dollars. We could tell them all to stuff the Olympics and their players will still come here when drafted.

Give your head a shake.

 

[Chimpradamus]

True. However, the NHL owners are only interested in increasing the popularity of their league/team. Americans owners have not seen that benefit from participation in the Olympics which is why they will not be going again.

That's because those idiots have no long term strategy, they simply don't care. As in all business it's about the next quarter. They simply have no clue what an impact a successful national team with NHL players in the olympics has on kids starting to play hockey. The NHL is a closed communist league that is acting in true capitalist fashion against all other hockey leagues, stealing their top talent for coffee money under forced agreements (that always start with threats of how the NHL will steal them for free instead if they don't sign).

The NHL is not about the sport, it's about a good fasade and the profits of the owners. Everything else is secondary. They couldn't care less about hockey world wide. That's why I stopped supporting this garbage league.

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

That's because those idiots have no long term strategy, they simply don't care. As in all business it's about the next quarter. They simply have no clue what an impact a successful national team with NHL players in the olympics has on kids starting to play hockey. The NHL is a closed communist league that is acting in true capitalist fashion against all other hockey leagues, stealing their top talent for coffee money under forced agreements (that always start with threats of how the NHL will steal them for free instead if they don't sign).

The NHL is not about the sport, it's about a good fasade and the profits of the owners. Everything else is secondary. That's why I stopped supporting this garbage league.

The NHL have stopped their league 5 times to attend the Olympics to try and win over fans like you and obviously it hasn't worked and your sentiments are common amongst hockey fans in Europe. The NHL would be foolish to spend another second worrying about people like you. It is an NA based league and always will be.

BTW, if you are upset about Swede's leaving to play in the NHL then maybe you should work that out amongst yourselves. Nobody is being stolen here.

 

[Yakushev72]

No they arent. Its the Europeans who come here for the big dollars. We could tell them all to stuff the Olympics and their players will still come here when drafted.

Give your head a shake.

You're responding to the answer without really understanding the question. At a certain point, and that point has probably already been reached by the Czechs and Slovaks, there's no money left for producing players because they have all been exported for only a pittance in compensation (hint: not compensation for the players themselves, but for the federations and team owners who bankroll the development of players).

 

[patnyrnyg]

No they arent. Its the Europeans who come here for the big dollars. We could tell them all to stuff the Olympics and their players will still come here when drafted.

Give your head a shake.

An example is Lundqvist. Rangers wanted to sign him earlier and bring him to NA. He told them he wasn't interested in a two-way contract. Didn't want to come play in the AHL when he could make the same money (possibly more) and play in Sweden. When they took the 2-way contract off the table, he signed and came over. Seems like it has worked out for all involved.

 

[patnyrnyg]

The NHL have stopped their league 5 times to attend the Olympics to try and win over fans like you and obviously it hasn't worked and your sentiments are common amongst hockey fans in Europe. The NHL would be foolish to spend another second worrying about people like you. It is an NA based league and always will be.

BTW, if you are upset about Swede's leaving to play in the NHL then maybe you should work that out amongst yourselves. Nobody is being stolen here.

Well said. This post is so perfect it qualifies as literature. Better yet, poetry.

 

[patnyrnyg]

People around the world don't watch the NHL to see the players who played in the Olympics?

Not really, it is what I call the one every four years hockey fan. Just like I have no interest in sports like Gymnastics or Wrestling, but will watch during the Olympics.I was a swimmer as a kid, lifeguard, swim instructor, have no interest in swimming outside of the Olympics. Figure skating, speed skating, luge, bobsled, ski jumping, skiing. Can't remember the last time I even knew a non-Olympics competition was going on, let alone watched it.

The Olympics bring out a sense of patriotism. Do not confuse that with caring for the sport(s) itself/themselves.

 

[Zine]

Not really, it is what I call the one every four years hockey fan. Just like I have no interest in sports like Gymnastics or Wrestling, but will watch during the Olympics.I was a swimmer as a kid, lifeguard, swim instructor, have no interest in swimming outside of the Olympics. Figure skating, speed skating, luge, bobsled, ski jumping, skiing. Can't remember the last time I even knew a non-Olympics competition was going on, let alone watched it.

The Olympics bring out a sense of patriotism. Do not confuse that with caring for the sport(s) itself/themselves.

It's not that back and white.

Would olympic swimming have generated such a high viewership if Michael Phelps didn't participate? Would the 2014 Russia v USA game have generated record viewership if NHLers didn't participate? Unlikely.
Yes, the typical olympic viewer is a 'every four year fan'; but don't for a second believe that big name athletes don't draw attention.


The olympics are not going to magically make people care about hockey. However it is a fantastic platform to spark initial interest. And unlike swimming, bobsledding, ski jumping, etc., hockey IS an accessible sport to follow. It's part of the 'big 4' in America. Whether the NHL's product is good enough to parlay that potential spark into new fans, I don't know. Outside of their olympic participation venture, their marketing is horrible.

 

[patnyrnyg]

As high? No, but swimming is still one of the most popular summer olympic sports. If Michael Phelps wasn't going after Spitz's record of 7 gold in 7 events, there would have been other stories.

Secondly, the point about the US-Russia rating shows my point. The NHL does NOT care about the ratings at the Olympics. They are concerned with their own ratings and they do not see a jump after the Olympics. They did not start sending players to help increase Olympic Hockey. They sent players to showcase their talent with the hope it would translate to increased interest in the NHL. Hasn't happened.

 

[Zine]

It's quite interesting to see how narratives have changed.

For years people tore apart the IIHF: "The IIHF are biased! Who needs them for a proper best-v-best tournament? The NHL should organize their own!"

And now after the NHL has proposed this boondoggle of a tourney: "Why should the NHL care about international hockey? Why should the NHL care about fans like you?"

 

[Zine]

As high? No, but swimming is still one of the most popular summer olympic sports. If Michael Phelps wasn't going after Spitz's record of 7 gold in 7 events, there would have been other stories.

Secondly, the point about the US-Russia rating shows my point. The NHL does NOT care about the ratings at the Olympics. They are concerned with their own ratings and they do not see a jump after the Olympics. They did not start sending players to help increase Olympic Hockey. They sent players to showcase their talent with the hope it would translate to increased interest in the NHL. Hasn't happened.

Of course the NHL cares about olympic ratings when their players are participating.

 

[patnyrnyg]

Of course the NHL cares about olympic ratings when their players are participating.

No they don't. Do they make $ off the Olympic ratings? Nope.

 

[Zine]

No they don't. Do they make $ off the Olympic ratings? Nope.

Don't be difficult. The NHL cares 100% about olympic ratings. Higher ratings = more exposure. Exposure is the reason for NHL participation.

Why do you think Bettman is/was more open to NHL participation if OG are held in North America? Correctamundo!, ratings and viewership are higher.

 

[patnyrnyg]

Don't be difficult. The NHL cares 100% about olympic ratings. Higher ratings = more exposure. Exposure is the reason for NHL participation.

Why do you think Bettman is/was more open to NHL participation if OG are held in North America? Correctamundo!, ratings and viewership are higher.

Yeah no kidding. But for the bazillionth time, IT HAS DONE NOTHING FOR THE NHL. The idea was the exposure would draw interest in the NHL, and IT HAS NOT HAPPENED IN 5 OLYMPICS. What do you not get? This has been said a million times on here. Read through the thread.